Rue La La » Designershttp://www.ruelala.com/blog
The Style GuideTue, 31 Mar 2015 20:00:55 +0000en-UShourly1The Golden Touch: Tory Burch Is Having a Groundbreaking Yearhttp://www.ruelala.com/blog/2014/08/20/tory-burch-tops-1-billion-decade/
http://www.ruelala.com/blog/2014/08/20/tory-burch-tops-1-billion-decade/#commentsWed, 20 Aug 2014 21:00:56 +0000http://www.ruelala.com/blog/?p=77894Tory Burch has already gained a cultlike following for her Reva flats and wardrobe-energizing prints. That career milestone? Achieved. Now, the designer is reportedly making more headway on her résumé: surpassing $1 billion in revenue in 2014. On its own, that figure is no small feat – but when you combine it with the fact that her brand is just a decade old, it’s astonishing.

And the media has taken note of the label’s earning power. This week, Fast Companypublished an intimate profile on Tory in its September 2014 issue, outlining her company’s history from inception through its future plans. Having left her fashion PR path to raise three boys, Tory’s story is a relatable one, even if her privileged upbringing is less so. But Tory channeled her globetrotting experiences into beautiful items that defined “accessible luxury,” earning our affection (and disposable income) along the way.

At the core of Tory’s success is her family. They helped staff her Manhattan storefront on opening day in February 2004, and her parents’ colorful style continues to be a source of inspiration to this day. She’s even gone so far as to name the company’s guiding principles (including kindness, humility, and humor) after her dad, Buddy.

This year has brought, and will continue to bring, many firsts for the Tory Burch brand, all bearing her personal touch: a foray into wearable technology with a Fitbit collaboration, a coffee-table book called Tory Burch in Color, a collection of dinnerware, and sometime soon, a line of men’s items. While other American lifestyle icons have come before her (Donna Karan and Michael Kors come to mind), Tory continues to pave her own path as an entrepreneur to watch. And an upbeat, hardworking female one at that.

Presidents Obama and Bush weren’t the only ones paying tribute to those who lost their lives on 9/11. On the tenth anniversary of that fateful day, several designers also paused during their shows to remember the terrorist attacks.

Lela Rose was one of the first designers to show in Lincoln Center on Sunday morning, and before her event began, the house lights dimmed and John Lennon’s “Imagine” played in its entirety. When the lights came back on and the first model hit the runway, there was barely a dry eye in the house.

Gwen Stefani dedicated her L.A.M.B. presentation to the victims of 9/11, as did Bono and Ali Hewson at EDUN. The program notes for the Bespoken menswear presentation, which is designed by two sets of brothers, read: “Amidst the hectic schedules around New York Fashion Week, we would like to take a moment to honor and respect the men and women whose lives were lost on 9/11. Our lives will be forever impacted.”

Diane von Furstenberg dubbed her Spring 2012 collection “Beginnings,” and carried several small American flags as she took her post-show lap around the runway, handing them to guests Valentino and Oscar de la Renta and pledging to make a donation in each guest’s name to the September 11th Families’ Association.

At DKNY, Donna Karan not only included a heartfelt love letter to “Our beloved city, New York. Our inspiration” in her program notes, but the collection itself seemed inspired by American patriotism (heavy on the red, white, and blue sportswear). The Donna Karan company also made a donation to Action America, an initiative to unite and activate Americans everywhere to turn the events of 9/11 into positive action.

They were small gestures, to be sure. But on this momentous – and emotional – anniversary, they encouraged showgoers to remember that which should never be forgotten.

I’ve been invited to several parties hosted by designer Reem Acra over the years, but was never able to attend until last week. And holy crow, had I been missing out! Reem, who was raised in Lebanon and studied fashion design at FIT in New York and the ESMOD Ecole de Mode in Paris, is the consummate hostess with the mostest.

This became immediately apparent as my husband and I entered her Chelsea apartment – which was lit with twinkling votives and glowing purple trees for the occasion – and were offered glasses of champagne and red wine by handsome young waiters. The glass-topped tables were lit from below and adorned with small vases of roses and tall silver bowls overflowing with tasty snacks, while other waiters passed tuna tartare and foie gras hors d’oeuvres.

“Eclectic,” Reem said when asked to describe her décor. “I think it has my whole personality. I love coming home at night and enjoying the atmosphere I’ve created. It has a little bit of all my trips; wherever I travel I’ve collected things since I was a little girl. Things I love and adore – from the dishes to the candles. Everything I have, I have to love!”

Although my own style hews more toward mid-century modern/Design Within Reach, I also love the moody, evocative atmosphere Reem has created in her spacious abode, which she bought 10 years ago to house her showroom and “slowly, slowly” transformed into her personal living space.

“In the beginning it was my showroom and house at the same time,” she told me as legendary stylist Freddie Leiba and editors from InStyle mixed and mingled. “It was so easy. I would be in my bedroom and get dressed, then pick up my handbag and walk into the office in my living room.’”

“It’s always a work in progress,” she added as her adorable white Maltese, Lulu, snuggled at her feet. “Every time you come here, things change. The tables get moved or have been changed completely. I change it whenever I’m in the mood. But what I enjoy the most is when I’m having breakfast all alone every day in my living room on my settee with sterling silver and fine dishes – it’s like breakfast for a king and I do it all the time with the best dishes I have. With everything I have, I never skimp. So I’m living life to the fullest. Growing up I remember my mother saying, ‘This is for guests. This is for a special time.’ And I decided when I grew up I would live. So I am my own guest and I am living the best life ever.”

That much was clear from glancing around the beautifully appointed living room, with its plush velvet couches, low-slung glass coffee tables and elaborately carved wooden panels (and don’t even get me started on the private changing room that houses Reem’s incredible vintage clothing archive).

The designer — who is famous for her intricately embroidered ready-to-wear and bridal collections — also owns homes in Beirut and Nashville and lives to entertain. She even co-owns an event planning business, called Dreemcom, in her native Lebanon. She entertains at least once a week – freewheeling cocktail parties or formal dinner parties – and takes ballroom dance lessons in the kitchen.

“I entertain myself every single day,” Reem said with a laugh before excusing herself to greet arriving guests. It’s a great life lesson, and one I plan to adopt myself. And you can bet I’ll never miss another party hosted by the gracious Ms. Acra.

Mother Nature was in a great mood Monday night – great news for the fashion flock, who turned out en masse for the 2011 CFDA Awards at Lincoln Center, hosted by Anderson Cooper. They were dressed to the nines, of course, with Lady Gaga (this year’s Fashion Icon Award honoree) making the photogs gaga in her custom Nicola Formichetti for Mugler spiked bodystocking/corset/ball skirt ensemble, which revealed as much as it concealed (worn with a bobbed green wig and 24-inch black leather platforms, natch).

Other red carpet stunners included Miranda Kerr in Michael Kors, Karlie Kloss in Jason Wu, Phoebe Philo (the International Award honoree) in her own design for Celine, Alessandra Ambrosio in Prabal Gurung, Chloë Sevigny in a leather-and-lace look from her 2012 Resort collection for Opening Ceremony (what, you didn’t know she’s a designer now, too?), Guinevere van Seenus in vintage James Galanos with Eddie Borgo jewelry, Leelee Sobieski in a stunning white suit by her hubby Adam Kimmel, Liya Kebede in Derek Lam, Bergdorf Goodman’s Linda Fargo in a neon orange Jil Sander pantsuit, and Sofia Coppola in a white strapless Marc Jacobs dress (she was presenting her designer pal with the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award, or “half-lifetime achievement award,” as she jokingly called it when introducing the 48-year-old Jacobs onstage).

The event was a veritable lovefest, with seemingly every American designer, editor, buyer, stylist, and fashion photographer in attendance (look, there’s Anna Wintour! And there’s Terry Richardson! Over there, it’s Inez and Vinoodh! There’s Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen! Hey, it’s Joseph Altuzarra! There’s Mary Ping and Sue Stemp! And isn’t that Haider Ackermann, Daphne Guinness, and Karlie Kloss?). And so it went.

Kanye West presented Phoebe Philo’s award, Vogue Creative Director Grace Coddington gave the Board of Directors’ Special Tribute Award to legendary lensman Arthur Elgort. A stunning (and very pregnant) Jessica Alba presented the Founder’s Eleanor Lambert Award to InStyle’s Hal Rubenstein, and veteran British journalist Hilary Alexander (who has been with the Telegraph for 25 years and is retiring in June to study archeology) was honored with the Eugenia Sheppard Media Award.

Lady Gaga told a hilarious story about getting a text from Anna congratulating her on being named 2011’s Fashion Icon, and she wrote back, “Yes, bitch, we did it!,” thinking it was her friend, Anna. Turns out it was Anna Wintour (d’oh!) who texted back, “That’s lovely.” Ha!

In more serious style news, the Swarovski Award for emerging talent went to Prabal Gurung (for womenswear), Robert Geller (for menswear), and Eddie Borgo (for accessories).

The CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year award was given to Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler, with Michael Bastian nabbing the Menswear Designer of the Year award and Alexander Wang taking home the Accessory Designer of the Year prize.

CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg closed the show (explaining that Anderson Cooper had to leave early to deal with “a Weiner matter”). And then it was on to the Boom Boom Room at the Standard Hotel for the CFDA After Party, where Gaga removed the remaining outer layers of her outfit to reveal a sheer unitard with black pasties and a G-string, and belted out a duet with Patti LaBelle. No rest for the wicked, my lovelies!

The debut of my collection on Rue La La feels like a dream. I have loved fashion ever since I was a little girl. One of my earliest memories is working behind the scenes in my dad’s warehouse, ticketing garments and folding sweatshirts. So when I landed an internship at Women’s Wear Daily, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. From there, I worked for amazing publications like Teen Vogue, where I got to see my first fashion show (DKNY Jeans) at Smashbox Studios in Los Angeles.

One of the biggest challenges I faced when I set out to create my collection was designing for a wide demographic – being able to speak to women of every age, size, and income. Personally, I love mixing “high” and “low,” vintage and new, and buying pieces you can wear with many different things (like tops that can be dressed up or down, and can be worn with jeans, black pants, or a pencil skirt). When I thought about my line, I wanted it to have an Alice-in-Wonderland-goes-to-a-cocktail-party feel, with an effortless, vibrant-yet-empowering vibe.

Last year I was thrilled to introduce my first line, Whitney Eve, to the world – and seeing my own dream come to life on the runway is a feeling I’ll never forget. What I saw under the lights at Bryant Park was just what I had set out to accomplish – a fun, chic, sophisticated collection that real women would want to wear. Just like every woman should own a pair of great-fitting dark denim jeans, a figure-flattering little black dress, and a leather motorcycle jacket, I’ve come to see some of my own pieces as wardrobe essentials. A couple of my personal favorites are the watercolor chiffon flounce dress and the metallic oversized jacket.

One day I would love to see celebrities like Ashley Olsen, Kate Bosworth, Rihanna, and Keira Knightley wear my collection. They are so ahead of the trends, willing to take chances and rock everything they put on. Seeing them in my pieces would be so exciting. And I am so excited for the Boutique doors to open on my new collection.

Whitney Port & Brian Reyes: ELLE Modern Designers will be open on Rue La La from May 12 – 17.

When stylemakers band together to support a cause, you know it’s going to make a stir. Galvanizing support from entertainment and fashion industry heavies like Beyoncé, Tory Burch, Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, and others, Fashion for Haiti is committed to bringing immediate relief to the people of Haiti and helping the country rebuild. And it doesn’t hurt that they’ve created a bold, stylish T-shirt in the process. Steven Kolb sheds some light.

Human tragedy of the magnitude the Haitian people are experiencing can not be ignored. The fashion industry has always been charitable, and it is important that our industry have a collective response to show unity and raise as much money as possible with our collective efforts.

The InspirationWe asked Peter Arnell to design the shirt because we worked with him after 9/11 on a Fashion for America shirt that raised $2 million. The graphic we chose is bold and colorful, and the words “hope, help, heal” are a direct message to Haiti.

The CauseWhen President Obama brought Presidents Clinton and Bush together to announce the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, we knew immediately we would support their effort. The money raised will help the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund bring immediate relief to Haiti, and will assist in the long-term rebuilding of their country.

The HopeIt was amazing how quickly the industry rallied. In ten days we designed a shirt and put it into production. Every major American designer and retailer is involved in the effort. We moved fast, and now we are excited to get the shirt out to retailers so consumers can join with us and show their support by buying and wearing the shirt.

Fashion for Haiti is about style and giving… With such a great reach and consumer base, we knew Rue La La Members would respond.

We know what inspires us to buy jewelry. Love. Either for someone else or for our fabulous self. But what inspires jewelers? Here’s a look at three jewelers we love (all with pieces in our Jewelry to Love Boutique) and a window into what inspired some of their latest pieces.

Paige Novick: The Devinn BraceletPaige, a Francophile, has long been inspired by her studies in Paris. A student of art history at the Sorbonne, she interned at Chanel working directly with the great Karl Lagerfeld.

She became owner and creative director of “Frou” by Paige Novick, the contemporary handbag and later clothing brand – and then launched her luxury accessories company.

Paige’s jewelry reflects her effortlessly chic personal style. She loves contrasting elements (masculine and feminine, organic and synthetic, rough and refined). Many of her pieces have a tiny silver or gold snail decoration, a symbol she chose for its “quiet beauty and self-assurance.”

Her Devinn bracelet draws form both nautical and equestrian inspirations. It combines the feminine – metallic gold leather, and the masculine – classic Americana, for a chic, sophisticated effect.

Adia Kibur: Pearl Bib NecklaceAspiring diplomat Nadia Lee was inspired to change directions when she noticed a young girl wearing a bracelet made from a tiny metal spring while touring a metalworks factory in her family’s native Taiwan.

She loved the creative design and honesty of the piece, and it led her to develop a “spring” bracelet concept (catching the attention of buyers across the globe) and then pioneer a system of jewelry design based on, of all things, guitar strings.

Adia Kibur is based on the idea that fashion has everything to do with a sense of self. Beyond the trends, it’s about character and craftsmanship.

Nadia’s design process involves imagining the individual who will wear the piece. Her identity, aspirations, likes and dislikes all become “paint strokes” in the design process.

The pearl bib necklace began with Michelle Obama as muse. Thinking of the icon who brought pearls to the forefront of the fashion scene, Nadia pushed the envelope a little further for sophisticated and playful women. She saw bibs as an effortless way to bridge day and evening wear – as compelling on a T-shirt as on a gown. Inspired by a vision of starry nights, she introduced random pearls to represent the ethereal elements. To Nadia, the piece represents “chances, dreams, and possibilities.”

At the suggestion of Bloomingdale’s, R.J introduced his first collection of jewelry in the prestigious Cul-De-Sac boutique in 1975. Other stores quickly took notice. His work is heavily featured in the glossiest fashion mags we love, and his designs have adorned the likes of Giselle and Julia Roberts.

There is a certain indescribable – and irresistible – quality to his collectible, wearable designs that captures our imagination, and the oversized lucite orbs of this piece are a perfect example. The large, polished spheres surround the neck to attract light and create a glow.

Bold, solid, sparkling – this piece takes its inspiration from poolside Hollywood glamour. We can almost picture the scene poolside at the fabulous Beverly Hills Hotel!